Gideon Pillow: The silly general March 27, 2009
Posted by Jenny in Civil War, history.Tags: Civil War, Gideon Pillow, Mexican-American War, Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor
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"Am I not a dashing fellow?"
I first came across the name of Gideon J. Pillow when I read Grant’s memoir. At the start of Grant’s account of the battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862, he wrote of his Confederate foe, “I had known General Pillow in Mexico, and judged that with any force, no matter how small, I could march up to within gunshot of any entrenchments he was given to hold.“
I was intrigued by this description and became still more fascinated when I studied the events of the Fort Donelson battle, in which Pillow seemed at first to have the upper hand but then made an inexplicable decision that led to an embarrassing defeat. The most competent of the Confederate officers present, Nathan Bedford Forrest, had ended up fleeing with his cavalry through a swamp in the dark of the night, undoubtedly cursing Pillow as he went.
Not only was I intrigued, but I also loved the name. Gideon Pillow, Gideon Pillow… the name sounded as plump and self-satisfied as the man himself.
General Pillow could not have been improved by any amount of invention. He comes to us already perfect out of history, a creation whose shining incompetence was set off to best advantage by his own pompous pronouncements. He first emerges from history’s shadows in the summer of 1846, when several battles of the Mexican war had already been fought and Congress had finally voted to ratify the war’s existence.
Old Rough and Ready
In its lengthy deliberations, Congress had authorized appointments for a large number of volunteer generals. Pillow arrived at the camp of Zachary Taylor (“Old Rough and Ready”) as one of the first contingent of generals. Taylor was said to be disconcerted by this surplus of generals, who were more numerous than he knew what to do with.
But Pillow was ready to face the trials of combat, or so he thought. He had served with the Tennessee militia during the tranquil 1830s, when his competence and nerve were tested to the limit by the fierce rigors of drills and inspections. He held the rank of brigadier general, a political post won through his association with his former law partner, James Polk.
(The series continues here)
Google has indexed you! I’m at work and thought I’d see if I could find you via the title “The Silly General,” and I could.
I’ve been writing about a Civil War general, myself. A fictious fellow, who in 1874 (Indian Wars) is still being called ‘General’ by the ‘Great War’ veterans among his troops, but who had his two battlefield promotions recinded, as apparently many were. (I had a reference for this, but I don’t have it handy.) My use of ‘Great War’ above is probably inappropriate, but I can’t bring myself to type ‘War between the States’ all the time, and I imagine that people didn’t really say that all the time. I don’t know what they did call it, for short, at the time.
Eirikur
That’s very interesting that you, too, have been interested in figures of the Civil War. There will be more to come soon about the wonderful Gideon Pillow. I don’t think I could have made up any more interesting character!
This is I believe my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, my father being H. Grant Pillow, and my Grandfather being Harry Pillow, and his father being Grant Pillow, and his father being George Pillow, and I’m almost certain that Georges father is Gideon Pillow. I have a cousin that visited Fort Pillow and she was amazed by the resemblance of Gideon to all of the following Pillow men. They are all large, scary looking men!! Very interesting story.
Wendy,
Well, according to the Hughes/Stonesifer biography of Gideon Pillow, he had a son, George M. Pillow, his second son. There is a picture of Gideon Pillow’s wife Mary Elizabeth Martin Pillow and baby George in the book. That’s funny that all of the Pillow men seem to look alike! Thanks for your comment.
he was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather on my mothers side
Wendy, My cousin George Pillow of Van, Texas must be an Uncle of Yours. My Great Great Grandfather Anthony Brown Pillow was a younger brother of George Washington Pillow your Great Great Grandfather. If that is the case then you are a fifth cousin once removed of General Gedeon Johnson Pillow 1806-1878.
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